What does "policy" mean?
A principle of behaviour, conduct which an entity (government, organization, etc.) applies or seeks to follow, especially as formally expressed by an authoritative body.
Policy
/ˈpɒl.ə.si/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A principle of behaviour, conduct which an entity (government, organization, etc.) applies or seeks to follow, especially as formally expressed by an authoritative body.
- Grammar: policy is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: a procedure, academic guideline, academic integrity, academic policy.
- Useful contrasts: russian politika, no policy, anarchy.
- Usage evidence: At this stage there is still not a clear energy policy for bringing decentralised power to rural areas.
How to use "policy"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "policy" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "policy" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "policy" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "policy" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "policy" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "a procedure" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "policy", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A principle of behaviour, conduct which an entity (government, organization, etc.) applies or seeks to follow, especially as formally expressed by an authoritative body. countable, uncountable
"The Communist Party has a policy of returning power to the workers."
- 2 A contract of insurance.
- 3 a plan of action adopted by an individual or social group wordnet
- 4 A document describing such a policy. countable, uncountable
"Please print extra copies of this policy and post them where it will be easy for everyone to see."
- 5 A document containing or certifying this contract.
"Your insurance policy covers fire and theft only."
Show 12 more definitions
- 6 written contract or certificate of insurance wordnet
- 7 Wise, advantageous, or politic conduct; prudence, formerly also with connotations of craftiness. countable, uncountable
"[H]e [Richard I of England] was diſcovered in an inne in Auſtria, becauſe he diſguiſed his perſon not his expenſes; ſo that the very policie of an hoſteſſe, finding his purſe ſo farre above his clothes, did detect him: […]"
- 8 An illegal daily lottery in late nineteenth and early twentieth century USA on numbers drawn from a lottery wheel (no plural) obsolete
- 9 a line of argument rationalizing the course of action of a government wordnet
- 10 Specifically, political shrewdness or (formerly) cunning; statecraft. archaic, countable, uncountable
"I, 'policie? that's their profession, And not simplicity, as they suggest."
- 11 A number pool lottery
- 12 The grounds of a large country house. Scotland, countable, in-plural, uncountable
"1775, Samuel Johnson, A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland section on Aberbrothick Now and then about a gentleman’s house stands a small plantation, which in Scotch is called a policy, but of these there are few, and those few all very young."
- 13 The art of governance; political science. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"Liſt his diſcourse of Warre; and you ſhall heare / A fearefull Battaile rendred you in Muſique. / Turne him to any Cauſe of Pollicy, / The Gordian Knot of it he will vnlooſe, / Familiar as his Garter: […]"
- 14 A state; a polity. countable, obsolete, uncountable
- 15 A set political system; civil administration. countable, obsolete, uncountable
- 16 A trick; a stratagem. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"Tis pollicie and ſtratageme muſt doo / That you affect, and ſo muſt you reſolue, / That vvhat you cannot as you vvould atchiue, / You muſt perforce accompliſh as you may: […]"
- 17 Motive; object; inducement. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"I pray you (said he) honest men, what such right have you in me, as not to suffer me to doe with my self what I list? and what pollicie have you to bestow a benefite where it is counted an injury?"
Verb
- 1 To regulate by laws; to reduce to order. transitive
"Policying of cities."
Synonyms
All synonyms a procedureacademic guidelineacademic integrityacademic policyaccept at face valueaccepted rule
Antonyms
Example
"At this stage there is still not a clear energy policy for bringing decentralised power to rural areas."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "policy"?
Common synonyms include: a procedure, academic guideline, academic integrity, academic policy, accept at face value, accepted rule.
How do you use "policy" in a sentence?
At this stage there is still not a clear energy policy for bringing decentralised power to rural areas.
How do you pronounce "policy"?
Pronounced /ˈpɒl.ə.si/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English policie, from Old French policie, pollicie and police, from Late Latin politia (“citizenship; government”), classical Latin polītīa (in Cicero), from Ancient Greek πολιτεία (politeía, “citizenship; polis, (city) state; government”), from πολίτης (polítēs, “citizen”). Doublet of police, polis (“police”), and polity.
Etymology 2
From Middle French police, from Italian polizza, from Medieval Latin apodissa (“receipt for money”), from Ancient Greek ἀπόδειξις (apódeixis, “proof, declaration”). Doublet of apodixis.